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The day after their arrival at St. Petersburg, they had the honour to dine with the grand duke, who received them with the utmost politeness and affability; and after dinner, upon taking leave, his imperial highness gave them a general invitation to his court and table, as often as it was convenient to them. The empress arrived in the city the fame evening; and the next day they received orders to attend her majesty at ten o'clock, on the day following, at her fummer palace. The baron informs us, that, though he was prepared to expect very much from the excellent understanding and politeness of her majesty, yet her extreme penetration, and the propriety of the queftions fhe afked, relative to the practice and fuccefs of inoculation, greatly furprised him. On his retiring, he had the honour to be invited to dine with her the fame day. The baron gives the following general account of the entertainment.

The empress fat fingly at the upper end of a long table, at which about twelve of the nobility were guests. The en. tertainment confifted of a variety of excellent dishes, ferved up after the French manner, and was concluded by a defert of the finest fruits and fweetmeats, fuch as I little expected to find in that northern climate. Moft of thefe luxuries were however the produce of the emprefs's own dominions: pine apples indeed are chiefly imported from England, though thofe of the growth of Ruffia, of which we had one that day, are of good flavour, but generally fmall. Water melons and grapes are brought from Aftracan; great plenty of melons from Moscow, and apples and pears from the Ukraine.

• But what enlivened the whole entertainment, was the moftTM unaffected ease and affability of the emprefs herself. Each of her guests had a fhare of her attention and politeness; the converfation was kept up with a freedom and chearfulness to be expected rather from perfons of the fame rank, than from fubjects admitted to the honour of their fovereign's company.'

After baron (at that time only doctor) Dimfdale had performed inoculation on the emprefs and the grand duke of Ruffia, a nobleman of the first distinction acquainted him with the generous manner in which her majefty proposed to reward his fervices. It was told him, that he should be created a baron of the Ruffian empire, and appointed actual counsellor of ftate, and phyfician to her imperial majefty, with an annuity of five hundred pounds a year, to be paid him in Eng- land; befide ten thousand pounds, which he immediately received; and also that he should be presented with a miniature picture of the emprefs, and one of the grand duke, as a memorial of his fervices to the imperial crown of Ruffia. Her

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majefty was also pleased to exprefs her approbation of his fon's conduct, by conferring on him the fame title, and ordering him to be presented with a fuperb gold fnuff-box, richly set with diamonds.

After the narrative of the author's journey, and a general account of his practice in Ruffia, we meet with a minute detail of the inoculation of the emprefs, and of the grand duke. Next follows, a fhort account of regulations in the Medical College of St. Petersburg, in 1768; with a description of the methods propofed for extending the falutary practice of inoculation through the Ruffian empire; and an estimate of the number of thofe who die of the natural small-pox, with a view to demonftrate the advantages that may accrue to Ruffia from the practice of inoculation.

The fecond chapter contains additional obfervations to the author's treatife on the method of inoculation for the fmallpox. The additional obfervations, which are intermixed with the original treatife, are, for the fake of diftinction, printed in Italics. We shall extract from this chapter one paffage, relative to a method of inoculation; prefixing to the additional observation so much of the original treatife as is neceffary for

connexion.

The blifter plaifter being removed, the part is to be dreffed with a little unguent. Bafilic. flav. on a pledget of lint, and the whole covered with a little cerate epulotic of the fame difpenfatory, fpread on a foft linen cloth; and this cerate, I think, is always preferable to any other application that has been, or is now in common ufe for dreffing blifter plaifters.

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I do not know that any perfon has ever practifed this method of applying blifter plaifters on the inoculated parts, except myself, and those who have received this information from me; but its effects are fo speedy and falutary, as to render it worthy of general ufe on fuch occafions. It likewife gives much lefs trouble than the application of large blifter plaifters upon other parts of the body, which are not only more painful, but lefs cfficacious. It is indeed attended with fo little uneafinefs, that even children feldom complain of it.

It may perhaps be imagined, that from this application the fore may afterwards become troublefome to the patient; but experience is againft this fuppofition; for when I have inoculated in both arms, and blistered only one, the bliftered incifion has most commonly healed fooner than the other.

• Under this head I have alfo to add, that in feme cafes, par ticularly of young children, it happens that the inoculated part, VOL. LII. O&. 1781.

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even early in the difeafe, inflames confiderably, fo as to occafion great refleffness and fever, although the pufules on other parts are very few, and of a good kind; in this flate I apply a common cataplafm of bread and milk to the part, which, with certainty, gives relief.

• Some refpectable practitioners having expressed their fatisfaction with that part of the chapter of anomalous symptoms, &c. where the eryfipelatous rash that had sometimes been mistaken for a confluent small-pox, was fhewn to be inoffenfive; I am encouraged to mention another complaint that has feveral times diftreffed me greatly, and I make no doubt has also occurred to others in the course of their practice, with what I efteem to the cause, and best manner of treating it.

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Sometimes a patient who has paffed through the eruptive fever, in the usual manner, with moderate Jymptoms, and been relieved from every complaint by the eruption of a few puftules, has, after all apprehenfions of future illness ceafed, been unexpectedly attacked with a Smart, and even alarming degree of fever, accompanied with great reftleffness, and very frequently in children with uncommon fits of crying. Not being able to account for this complaint from any circumstances belonging to this disease, I, for a time, attributed it to fome unknown caufe, independent of the fmallpox; but obferving that feizures of the fame kind happened in feveral inftances, my attention was excited to investigate its true caufe, which I am now convinced originates from puftules fituated on the internal part of the mouth, or on the membranous parts of the nofe or œfophagus. I have always treated this complaint fuccefsfully, by moderate cordials, fufficient to produce a flight perfpiration, by which means, the whole difturbance has generally been over in twenty-four hours, and no further inconvenience has been Suffered from it; this arifes from the abatement of the tenfion'; for it is obferved, that the puftules on those parts, which are con‐ ftantly hot and moist, come to maturity much earlier than thofe on the fkin.'

The third chapter treats of the epidemic fmall-pox; the fourth contains obfervations in favour of the opinion, that the true small-pox attacks the fame perfon but once; the fifth comprifes obfervations to prove, that fome perfons pafs through life, without appearing to be capable of receiving the fmall-pox; the fixth prefents us with obfervations to prove, that, though a perfon has been expofed to the natural smallpox, if he is inoculated in time, the inoculation will fuperfede the natural difeafe; and the feventh chapter delivers conjectures on the probable caufes of the different kinds and degrees of natural fmall-pox, and on the different fuccefs of the methods adopted in the practice of inoculation. In thofe feveral

feveral treatifes, whatever opinion may be entertained respecting the juftness of baron Dimfdale's theoretical fentiments, the facts which he adduces may be confidered as inconteftible, and must therefore merit the attention of all medical readers.

Twelve Difcourfes introductory to the Study of Divinity, in which the Principles of the Chriftian Religion are attempted to be laid down with Plainnefs and Precifion. By Edward Tatham, M. A. 8vo. 5s. boards. Richardfon and Urquhart.

THE author of thefe Discourses seems to think, that he should

have gained more reputation, as a writer, if he had adorned his compofitions with oratorical embellishments. He fuppofes, that an eafy defcant on a few felect and unconnected texts, the effufions of a flowery imagination, a studied modification of fentences, an exact and varied modulation of periods, pleafing metaphors, and fine allufions, are more acceptable to a polished ear,' than a difcourfe, which is deftitute of these ornaments.

This may be true. The effufions of a flowery imagination are captivating: but they are too frequently accompanied with affectation. Simplicity and perfpicuity of language, folidity of reafoning, purity of fentiment, and a pathetic application to the understanding and the paffions of mankind, are the principal characteristics of facred eloquence. Splendid epithets, poetical phrafes, and florid defcriptions, in a fermon, are difgufting to every judicious reader. They degrade the character of the preacher into that of a coxcomb, and are fitter for fuch oratorical focieties, as lately appeared in this metropolis, than for the pulpit.

Upon reading the preface to thefe Difcourfes, where the author fpeaks fo favourably of oratorical embellishments, we began to fufpect, that he would endeavour to amufe us with flowers of rhetoric. But we must do him the juftice to obferve, that, though he poffeffes a warm imagination, he generally keeps it under the reftrictions of reafon and good fenfe.

Thefe Difcourfes are thrown into a regular feries, and exhibit a fummary view of the Chriftian fyftem, or what is fuppofed to be the Chriftian fyftem, under certain general heads, which the author has pointed out in the following recapitulation.

Happiness in a future life is the end of man foul is the fubject, which is to enjoy it. from whom it muft proceed. And the means

religion. The huGod is the object of obtaining it, is

to pleafe Him by doing his perfect will.-We traced the will of God by the lights of confcience, reason, and revelation; and by the fame lights difcovered man's native inability to perform it. God created him originally able both to know and to do his duty, and engaged to make him happy on the performance of it; this is the covenant of works. His deprivation was derived from the voluntary difobedience of his primitive parents, whence fin and death enfued, with lo's of happiness. -- The love of God interpofed and projected the plan of man's redemption, by which his immortal attributes are reconciled, and our title to happiness founded anew. He gave his eternal Son to take upon him our nature, and to discharge the condition of the covenant of works, by perfect obedience to his will. This is the foundation of the covenant of grace.-Christ is the mediator of this new covenant, which office divides into three branches; that of prophet, to teach men its condition, and to give them the law of the gofpel; that of priest, to atone for their fins; and that of king, to fupport them by his grace here, and to reign over them in glory hereafter.-Thefe extraordinary truths were communicated to the world by revelation, of which prophecies, miracles, &c. are the infallible teft. The patriarchs and ancient Jews had them by promife divinely afcertained: Chriftians have them in actual enjoyment confirmed by flronger evidences.-The Holy Scriptures, which contain this revelation, are proved to be ancient, authentic, and uncorrupted; and the writers of them to have been capable and credible witneffes, and honeft relators, of what they have advanced.--The condition of the covenant of grace, I mean the part incumbent on men, is divided into faith -obedience and repentance. And fince thefe cardinal duties are above the capacity of our native powers, our Saviour hath promifed to affift our endeavours by the influence of divine grace, and to intercede with his Father in heaven.-He hath farther appointed efficacious means, by which we may apply for this fpiritual affiftance, by the inftitutions of a holy worship-baptifm -and the eucharift.-Such are the extraordinary means, through which we are to advance to the end of our religion,-a refurrection, a future judgement, and the kingdom of the just.'

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In treating on thefe fubjects the author purfues the beaten track; but he purfues it with caution; and though he leans towards Calvinism, he avoids the groffer abfurdities of that fyftem.

It has been ufual with thofe authors, who have reprefented human nature as utterly corrupted by the Fall, to declaim against reason in matters of religion. This writer however gives her a more honourable treatment, and allows her a more extenfive province.

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Though reafon can never afpire to be the companion of religion, the is its most useful friend and hand-maid. But, when

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